A brief description of the path of Afanasy Nikitin. What did Afanasy Nikitin discover? "Walking across Three Seas" by Afanasy Nikitin

short biography Afanasy Nikitin, a Russian merchant and traveler, is described in this article.

Afanasy Nikitin short biography

Unfortunately, only scant information has been preserved about the birth of Athanasius, his parents and childhood. Estimated year of birth – 1433 year. In 1468, the Russian traveler Afanasy Nikitin made a “voyage across three seas,” namely the Black, Caspian and Arabian. During the expedition, he visited Africa, the countries of the East, Persia and India and described what he saw in the book “Walking across Three Seas.”

Afanasy Nikitin set off on a trip from Tver. He carried Russian goods with him in the hope of selling them profitably in settlements near the Caspian Sea. It so happened that at the mouth of the Volga, a Tver merchant was robbed by Astrakhan Tatars. But this sad event did not force him to return home, especially since he borrowed the stolen goods. Nikitin made a firm decision to go to overseas countries in order to earn money to return debts for goods. First of all, he visited Baku, then migrated to the south, studying local languages ​​and engaging in trade. Around 1469, Athanasius reached the major port of Hormuz, which was the wayward crossing point of the trade routes of India, Asia Minor, China and Egypt. Then there were several years of traveling around India.

Since the book "Walkings" contains enough a large number of Arabic-Persian vocabulary and Muslim prayers, some researchers have put forward the opinion that while in India, the Tver traveler adopted the faith of Islam. Although he himself denied this matter in all his notes. When Nikitin decided to return to his homeland, his path lay through Trebizond and Persia.

Interesting facts from the life of a Tver merchant and traveler are presented in this article.

Afanasy Nikitin interesting facts

1. Afanasy Nikitin was the first Russian traveler who visited Persia and India. Returning from these countries, the traveler visited Turkey, Somalia and Muscat.

2. Nikitin discovered eastern countries 25 years before the travels of Vasco da Gama and many other travelers.

3. Afanasyev’s famous travel notes “Walking across Three Seas”, this is a wayward reference book, which describes in detail the life, as well as the political structure of countries in the East. In Rus', these manuscripts were the first to describe maritime ones for the purpose of narrating trade. It is interesting that the author considered his notes a sin.

4. Three years of travel for Afanasy Nikitin were not in vain - he learned foreign languages. In his notes there are Persian, Arabic and even Turkic words.

5. For scientists, Nikitin’s personal life still remains a mystery. It is unknown whether he had a wife and children.

6. Nikitin is not the traveler’s surname at all. There were no surnames then. This is his patronymic, that is, Afanasy, the son of Nikita.

7. He described Calcutta, Ceylon and Indochina, which were previously unknown.

8. Afanasia Nikitin came from poor family. AND main reason, along which he went on travels - correct financial position families through trade with foreign merchants.

When was in Tver, then I saw monument to Afanasy Nikitin. I immediately remembered from my school geography course that this great traveler since the Middle Ages. It turns out that he was born in Tver. After that I started getting acquainted with this famous person.

Afanasy Nikitin - great Russian explorer

Do you know that Nikitin lived in the 15th century and then there were no surnames? His father's name was Nikita. The nickname Afoni came from the name of the pope. He was born into the family of an ordinary peasant, so patronymic became surname.

There is no reliable information about the first half of a man’s life. It is known that he became a merchant. To trade, he had to travel far away Byzantium, Lithuania and Crimea. Thanks to his commercial spirit, Nikitin became rich. From each trip he brought goods that were in demand. But this is not his main merit:

• Nikitin first visited India;
• Russian merchant first in detail described India. Europeans first learned from his stories about elephants and monkeys, religion and the way of life of the Hindus;
• in his writings he mentioned new territories: island of Ceylon, a trading city and described in general outlineHindustan Peninsula;
• the result of staying in new lands was work “Walking across Three Seas”.

Travel route of A. Nikitin

The geography of Nikitin's travels is significant. The merchant explored many new territories:

• Nikitin left Tver. Then he came to Persia. Afterwards I went even further south. During the trip, he learned new languages, became acquainted with local culture and practiced the arts;
• it is known for sure that in 1 In 449 he visited the city of Hormuz. It was located at the crossroads of trade routes of India, China and Egypt. Then I went to Indian Chaul city:
• in 1450 visited East Africa, visited Ethiopian highlandse and returned to his homeland;
• in 1468 a new long time has begun exploration of Persia, India and Africa;
• in 1474 he returned back through Turkey, Kafa () and along the Dnieper swam back.

A characteristic feature of all his travels is their duration. He was in no hurry; he lived for months with local residents. Along the way, I bought and resold things that were in demand. There are no clear dates for the study. We can glean information about his journey from his work "Walking across three seas".

Afanasy Nikitin never returned to his homeland. He died in Smolensk. It is unknown what caused his death. Although Nikitin lived only a short time, he left an invaluable contribution to geographical science. A simple merchant from Russia was the first European to visit India, Persia and Africa.

Afanasy Nikitin - Tver merchant mediocre, became the first European to study and describe medieval India a quarter of a century before the arrival of the Portuguese colonialists.

His notes “Walking across Three Seas” have become a most valuable literary and historical monument, in which the versatility of his observations is combined with religious tolerance and devotion to his native land.

Biography of Afanasy Nikitin. The beginning of the way

It is unknown when the biography of Afanasy Nikitin begins. The fact is that he is the son of the peasant Nikita, which means that Nikitin is his patronymic, not his last name. How he became a merchant is also unknown. Now we only know that the Russian traveler Afanasy Nikitin by the mid-1460s was already a fairly wealthy man trading furs abroad. By this time, he had already become an experienced merchant who had visited Byzantium, Moldova, Lithuania and Crimea. And luck accompanied him everywhere.

Apparently, a competent merchant always obtained the relevant documents (letters) from the Tver prince. The large geography of trade trips of the traveler Afanasy Nikitin indirectly indicates that he knew a number of Turkic languages ​​and Farsi. In addition, one should not lose sight of the fact that the Tver Principality was then part of the large and powerful Tatar state of the Golden Horde, which allowed Russian merchants to trade freely with many Muslim countries. The most famous journey in the biography of Afanasy Nikitin also began quite smoothly.

Routes of Nikitinsky “walking”

It is now impossible to establish the exact date when the merchant caravan began to leave. Some historians date it to 1466, others shift it to 1468. Omitting exact dates and relying on specific facts, the following can be stated.
The trip that gave the world the discoveries of Afanasy Nikitin began in the spring. Then a group of Russian merchants equipped a caravan of ships for a trade trip to the Lower Volga and the North Caucasus. The caravan had two ships, loaded, among other things, with “soft junk”, i.e. furs, which were well valued in those parts.

The Grand Duke of Tver Mikhail Borisovich gave Nikitin a letter allowing him to begin extensive trade in the south of the Golden Horde near Astrakhan. For greater security, it was planned to join the caravan to the Russian embassy of Vasily Papin, but it left earlier. Then the caravan waited for the Tatar embassy of Shirvan Hasan-bek, with whom it went to the Lower Volga.

Alas! The merchants' cover did not help. Near Astrakhan, a caravan of ships was attacked by local robbers, who did not even look at the embassy's cover, and took away all the merchant's goods. Returning back without money and without goods entailed dire consequences, so the ruined merchants scattered in all directions. Nikitin headed south to Baku, then part of Persia, and further to Mazanderan. So it began geographical discoveries Afanasy Nikitina.

The way to India and back

Nikitin lived in Persia for over two years, trying to somehow make up for the goods lost near Astrakhan. Having learned that in India, thoroughbred stallions cost good money, he headed there. Afanasy Nikitin's journey to India began in 1471, when he, with a horse purchased in Persia, loaded onto a ship heading to the Indian port of Chaul.

Unfortunately, the merchant was unable to immediately sell the animal at a decent price, and then Nikitin’s path took him through Indian cities. In the capital of the Bahmani state, Bidar, he finally sold his horse and went to Parvat, holy city, where I lived for a year and a half. From there, Afanasy Nikitin’s route led to the “diamond” province of Raichur, where he spent another six months, earning money for the return journey.

Three years of Afanasy Nikitin's travels around India disappointed him. He saw almost nothing useful there for his homeland. They were not allowed to export cheap goods without duty, and there were many robbers at sea, which made trade extremely difficult. Having not been particularly successful in Indian trade, the Russian traveler began to get ready to go home.

This route of Afanasy Nikitin ran through the Arabian and Somali peninsulas, Hormuz, Tabriz, Trabzon. Here, suspecting him to be a Turkmen spy, all his goods were seized, leaving Nikitin only with his notes. From Trabzon he reached Kafa, where he spent the winter, waiting for the Russian merchant caravan. In the Cafe he became friends with Moscow merchants, with whom he went home in the spring of 1475.

Unfortunately, Nikitin’s health, weakened by years of travel, failed him, and he suddenly died not far from Smolensk. His notes were brought to Moscow and subsequently glorified the merchant

Afanasy Nikitin is a Russian writer, Tver merchant and traveler who traveled to India and Persia in 1468-1471. Returning home, he visited Somalia, stopped in Turkey and Muscat. The notes he made along the way “Walking across 3 seas” are a valuable historical monument of literature.

It is believed that he was distinguished by religious tolerance, devotion to his native land and faith, unprecedented for the Middle Ages. Afanasy Nikitin's homeland was Tver. Exact date his birth has not been established. It is known that he was the son of the peasant Nikita (where the patronymic Afanasy comes from). Died in the spring of 1475.

Tver heritage of Afanasy Nikitin

In the 16th-17th centuries. Afanasy Nikitin's notes “Walking across the three seas” (Black, Caspian and Arabian) were rewritten several times. This journey was not originally part of Athanasius's plans, but he became the first European to give an intelligent and important description of medieval India.

The work of Afanasy Nikitin is a monument to the living Russian language of the 15th century. In 1957, a 3500 m high peak and a huge underwater mountain range in Indian Ocean. In 1955, a monument was erected to Afanasy Nikitin in Tver.